Then It Comes To Be
by Reber02
Summary: Prelude to A Killer In Me. King Vegeta explains some things to Bardock, including why he's sending the prince to Freiza's and a threat to the galaxy.


Disclaimer: I do not own DBZ except for some Vegeta trading cards.

Warnings: Angst, Language and implied Violence, as opposed to the direct violence.

Archive: FFN and Stormy if she wants it, otherwise ask, I won't say no. 

Note: This is prelude to A Killer in Me. It takes place before Vegeta began to work for Freiza.

And it feels right this time  
On this crash course we're in the big time  
Pay no mind to the distant thunder  
Beauty fills his head with wonder, boy....

Then it comes to be that the soothing light at the end of your tunnel

Is just a freight train coming your way.

   No Leaf Clover by Metallica

Then It Comes To Be

The door to the observation deck slid open, revealing a tall, muscular figure dressed in green and dark blue body armor.  A furry brown tail was wrapped tightly around his waist, and unruly dark hair sticking out in random directions fell over blazing dark eyes that were filled with unadulterated rage, directed at the solitary person standing near the reinforced glass that overlooked the workout room below.

The tall warrior strode across the observation deck and stopped behind and to the right of the smaller man and waited to be acknowledged, as was proper when in the presence of royalty.

Long minutes dragged by as the King of Vegetasei stood silently and watched the uneven battle being waged below him in the workout chamber. Nine Saibamen fought viciously against a single small Saiyan child.  Bright lights strobed as ki blasts were discharged.  Sharp cries of pain filled the soundproof room as energy fried flesh from bone.

_'They don't stand a chance against him'._ The king thought, pride shining in the depths of the royal obsidian eyes that never left his small son as he unleashed death around him.

It took all of six minutes before the prince grew tired of toying with his opponents and finished them off with several blinding bursts of energy.  The young prince stood absolutely still for a series of heartbeats, surveying the remains of his opponents with disdain.  His tail lashed once, twice, and then went still once more. Then abruptly, the small prince stood on his hands and began to start a long series of vertical push-ups.

Above, the king was well aware of the seething warrior looming at his shoulder. Bardock was the one person that would have been allowed in this quiet sanctuary. Knowing that it was useless to put off acknowledging the Saiyan's presence any longer, the king turned his head slightly, not taking his eyes off his son.

"Yes, Bardock? Is there something you needed?" he asked coldly.

Bardock fought to keep a snarl off his scarred face and answer the question in as frigid of tone as he had been addressed. "Yes your Majesty, I need some answers that I hope you can provide," he said. "Why have I been reassigned?"

"The prince will no longer need your services as a bodyguard, Bardock. Since you have been 'demoted', you will resume your duties of purging planets for Freiza as per your instructions," the king replied easily.  "I would think that you would be happy, it will enable you to visit your son Radditz more often than if you were to accompany young Vegeta." 

This brought up another sore point for the warrior. "Another thing, what about my other son Kakkarott? What the hell happened to him? When he was born yesterday his battle power was well over 700 and now it reads a paltry 2. What the hell happened?" 

The king shrugged carelessly. "It was probably a malfunctioning reading of the tester, nothing more."

Bardock nearly snarled. Only years of being in the King's service kept him from crossing that line. "Bullshit. I know those readings was correct. And as soon as that gene-joke of yours that they call a doctor saw them, he herded me out and locked the door. The next time I was able to see my son, his battle power was practically nonexistent and now he's being shipped off to some backwater planet. _What did that thing do to my son, Vegeta??!_"

The king turned and faced the enraged Saiyan fully, his eyes as dark and as cold as a polar winter. "He was acting on my orders. That is all you need to know, Bardock." He turned once again to gaze at his son, who was still doing push-ups, oblivious to the charred entrails surrounding him.

Bardock felt his rage slipping out of his control. Gritting his teeth, he deliberately stepped in front of the king, blocking his view of the solitary prince. 

King Vegeta's eyes narrowed. "You are trying my patience Bardock."

"I don't care, Your Majesty," he sneered the title in classic Saiyan style. "Are you afraid that the son of a lower class warrior will grow up stronger than your precious little Vegeta? Is that why you had that freak tamper with Kakkarott battle power and plan to send him away? Are you trying to protect that spoiled brat of yours from challenges to the throne?" Bardock hissed, his long tail snapped from side to side in agitation.

The king's eyes were frozen blocks as he unflinching met Bardock's rage. "No."

"Then why?! Dammit I deserve an answer!" Bardock roared.

Silence filled the observation deck as the two stared at each other. Then the king spoke in an unnatural calm. "For the sake of your sons and yourself, this is no longer your concern."      

As Bardock went white at the king's deliberate dismissal, King Vegeta stepped around the Saiyan warrior and resumed watching his son, who was now doing sit-ups with a single-minded intensity that bordered on obsession.      

Bardock shook his head, he tried to get a handle on his rage and try a different tact. He turned to the king again. "What do you mean by that?" 

"A rumor isn't a rumor that doesn't die," the king spoke almost to himself. Seeing Bardock's expression, he asked,  "How many planets have our teams purged for Freiza this moth?" the king asked abruptly.

Blinking at the sudden change of subject, Bardock frowned. "Seven."

The king held Bardock's gaze in an icy glare. "Have you ever wondered why Freiza picks certain planets to be purged?"  He looked back down at the oblivious prince who was running through an intricate kata, his little fists were blurs. 

Shrugging, Bardock said, "I never really gave it a thought." 

Nodding, the king drew in a breath. "I know. Most Saiyans wouldn't. After we started 'working' with Frieza, I noticed a distinct pattern to his methods of purging planets. He always picked those with the highest level of technology." 

Bardock shrugged. "So what? He's getting rid of possible threats and competition at the same time. The Saiyans have been doing that for years." 

Nodding, the king said, "That's true. But after years of digging, I have managed to find out Frieza's origins, and in the history of his species, there has never once been any record of one with the level of power that he wields." 

Bardock blinked. He knew that the king was implying something, but it eluded him. He knew that the king was much smarter that any other Saiyan, with the possible exception of his son, prince Vegeta, who was rumored to be absolutely brilliant. He looked up and saw the patient stare of the king and he flushed slightly. He knew that the king knew that he wasn't following King Vegeta's implications. "So why is that bothering you so much? And what does that have to do with Kakarrot?"

The king appeared to debate whether or not to answer, then shrugged in nonchalance. "Lately Freiza has begun to take an increasing interest in the Saiyans that borders on disturbing, especially the new crop of young ones. I believe that the number of unusually strong cubs being born…concern him."

"Concern him? You mean his is afraid of the Saiyans?" Bardock's eyebrows went up at this unexpected piece of information.

"Possibly," the king admitted. 

"Do you think that he might try to hurt the cubs?" Bardock tried to reason it out. He knew there was so much of this conversation that he was missing. 

The king shook his head. "Not just them. All of our warriors, most notably you, grow stronger and stronger as well. Think Bardock, what is Freiza's standard response to any threat to his rule?"

Bardock sucked in his breath, by now his earlier rage forgotten. "Total annihilation of the race."

The king nodded. 

The dark-haired warrior shook his head. "But the Saiyans have always served Freiza well. Freiza wouldn't do that to us." But there was no confidence in his voice.

Raising an eyebrow, King Vegeta slanted a look at Bardock. "Are you willing to gamble the fate of our entire race on that?" 

Bardock folded his arms over his chest and shook his head slowly.

"Don't worry, the effects of the power suppressor will wear off, and Kakkarott will grow to reach his full potential in a safe environment," King Vegeta smirked.

Looking down at the little prince, Bardock cocked his head to one side. "What about prince Vegeta?" he wanted to know. "If you are so worried about attracting Freiza's notice, why do you trumpet his strength so loudly? Wouldn't that attract the Ice Lord's attention to the boy?" Despite his harsh words earlier, Bardock had a genuine fondness for the pint-sized prince. 

The king's face grew cold. "Freiza knew about Vegeta right away. He had a spy in the royal birthing chambers, so I couldn't hide the prince from him even if I wanted to. But young Vegeta has a different role to play."   

"What do you mean?" Bardock didn't like the blankness on the king's face. The only thing that moved were the dark eyes that never left the small figure hurling ki blasts at moving targets below them with pinpoint accuracy.

"Freiza informed me today that he has taken as interest in the prince. He…wants him." 

Bardock sucked in a breath, the scar standing out vividly against his pale skin. "You aren't going to let that thing get his hands on the prince are you?"

The king didn't move a muscle.

"Vegeta, you _aren't_ thinking of handing over the prince to him! That's insane!" Bardock grabbed the smaller man, forgetting for an instant that the King of the Saiyans could kill him with a flick of his wrist. "He's just a cub!"

"He's the Prince of the Saiyans!" Vegeta hissed back, his hands clenched into fists as he sought to contain the rage the demanded to be released. Jerking away from Bardock, he growled. "He knows his duty and will conduct himself accordingly. As will you." The implied threat hung heavily in the air.

Bardock ignored it. "You know what that monster will do to him. For the love of all that is sane, don't do this," he all but pleaded.

The king stood resolute.  "I have no choice."

Bardock shook his head. He had heard rumors of the reptile's sick 'appetites' and the thought of the prince of the Saiyans in the hands of that despicable bastard made him sick.  "My king, please listen to me. We are Saiyans, we will fight him. Together we might be strong enough to defeat him."

A flicker of anguish stirred in the depths of the royal eyes. "That may well be true. But even so, I must do this."

"Why?" Bardock all but shrieked. "If we can defeat Freiza, why don't we?" The king didn't respond.  Frustrated, he reached over and grabbed the smaller Saiyan by the front of his royal armor…and blinked in surprise as he found himself shoved harshly against the steel wall of the observation deck. 

The king leaned forward and snarled in the taller Saiyan's face. "Will you stop behaving like a Saiyan and try to think? If it were that easy, don't you think that I'd would have gathered our people a long time ago and kicked that psychopath's ass to hell and back? Do you think that I would willing hand my only son over to him, knowing what Freiza will do to him? Do you?"

Bardock stared at the mask of fury. "Then why?" he asked, his voice soft.

"I believe that Freiza's power was given to him and his brother Cooler and to King Cold," was the reply.

"But you don't even know if that's true!" Bardock protested.

A strange smile crossed the angular face of the elder Vegeta. "The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the universe that he didn't exist," he murmured.

Shaking his head in disbelief, Bardock tried again. "Ok, for arguments sake, lets suppose that you are right and Freiza and his family do have someone backing them. Why?" Below them, the small prince continued to blast away at targets blurring around the room.

Drawing a deep breath, the king said, "Think on this. What does Freiza want? He already has the riches of hundreds of worlds, every physical and sensory pleasure ever conceived of by thousands of species of life forms. What more does he want?"

Bardock thought about it, and shook his head. He didn't know.

"He wants the one thing that everything living thing wants, power. But Freiza's race has never been known to have the ability to wield such power that Freiza wields."

"And you think that someone gave it to him? In exchange for Freiza conquering planets for them?" Bardock asked.

The king shook his head. "No, I don't think that they care about such paltry things as ruling planets. Thus far all the planets have been purged of life. That seems to imply that their goal is one thing and one thing only, to wipe out all forms of life in the galaxy, don't you think?"

"So they give Freiza and his family the power to do it for them," Bardock looked angry. "Well then we should just destroy Freiza once and for all!"

"No, that's not the point you fool!" the king snapped. "Whom ever gave Frieza and his family their power wants to destroy _every_ living thing in this galaxy. They are the true enemy. If they can give Freiza so much power, what's to stop them from giving it to another? We have to stop _them_. But in order to do that, we need to know who it is. Which means until that time, we will continue to work for Freiza as if nothing is wrong."

"But what about the prince?" Bardock asked as he watched the small figure below them power down and exit the room.

"He will be the one to find out who," the king's face was a blank mask.

"By giving him to Freiza," Bardock felt a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. "You cold-hearted bastard. He is your son."

"What would you prefer? That I give him Kakkarott?" 

Bardock went white. He opened his mouth to rage at the king, and then for the first time saw the heartrending agony behind the carefully blank mask. He closed his mouth and silently shook his head. "When?" was all he could think to ask.

"Soon," was the distant reply.

"He's very brave."

A pause. "He doesn't know."

"You didn't tell him about Freiza? You sick bastard. He has no idea what's going to happen? How could you do that to your own son?" Bardock felt sick himself.

"He knows that Freiza wants to try to use him to control our people, and that it is his mission to find out the source of Freiza's power. Beyond that, it would be cruel to tell him more. But rest assured, Vegeta is much smarter than any other Saiyan, even myself. His intelligence is astounding for one so young, which was one of the reasons it has to be him. No other Saiyan has the cunning and the ruthlessness to pull it off. Plus, at his age, Freiza would never suspect him." 

Bardock's eyes twitched that the king's thoughts had mirrored his own so closely, but he had been thinking it about the king himself. In a strange way, the king almost seemed to be trying to justify himself to the warrior. A small part of Bardock admired the smaller man beside him for the sheer ruthlessness and determination of the king, but the larger part of him wanted to throttle him.  He had been prince Vegeta's bodyguard off and on for all the prince's short life and he knew him very well. He thought that the prince even considered him a friend. 

Both adult Saiyans jumped at the sound of the door opening. They turned as the prince strolled onto the observation deck like he owned it.

Young Vegeta was the spitting image of his father. Wild dark hair stood on end, except for a few stray locks tumbling over his forehead. Dark eyes blazed with typical Saiyan disdain but with an intelligence that was rare for the species. He bowed perfunctory to his father and acknowledged Bardock with a nod. 

"Excellent, son. Well done," the king smiled at the boy, and for the first time Bardock saw a hint of warmth in the cold eyes of the Saiyan's ruler.

Outwardly, Prince Vegeta didn't seem to be impressed, but the watching warrior could see how the praise made the straight back go ever so slightly straighter. Bardock felt for the little prince who was unaware that his life was about to become a living nightmare. 

"There has been a change of plans, my son." 

Sharp dark eyes glimmering with sort of neutral curiosity focused on his father.  "Change of plans?" he asked.

"Yes, you are getting a new bodyguard. Bardock is no longer assigned to you."

The prince didn't change expression, just the same neutral curiosity. "Why?"

_'Interesting'_ thought Bardock. '_He wants to know why instead of whom first.'_

"Bardock is going to be resuming his duties on purges. You new bodyguard will be Nappa."

The young Saiyan didn't bother to conceal his disdain, his thin lips curling into one of the best Saiyan sneers Bardock had ever seen. "I've meet cabbages with more brains than that brute, father. Why do I need a bodyguard at all?" He didn't even bother to look at Bardock.

"Because you are a prince and that is the way it is, now go get changed," the king ordered.

Vegeta looked like he wanted to argue, but one look from the king and he closed his mouth. Bowing again, and with another nod to Bardock, he pivoted on his heel and strode out of the room with his head held high.

"Your Majesty, why are you doing this?" Bardock saw the irritation and hurried to clarify his question. "I meant about Nappa. Let me go with the prince instead. Then at least then he will have a friend, that he won't be alone," he asked, trying to sound reasonable.

King Vegeta shook his head. "Bardock, would you be able to stand by and just watch, not interfere?" he asked, glancing out of the corner of his eye. 

Bardock's lips thinned a little, but he knew what the answer was.

"I didn't think so. If you tried to interfere, Freiza would kill you, then the prince would truly be alone. It is better this way." The king shifted slightly. "You are dismissed, Bardock."

King Vegeta watched his old friend leave, and then turned back to the empty workout room. He crossed his arms over his chest and closed his eyes. _My son, I can only hope that one day you will be able to understand why I am doing this. _ The king knew that was all he could ask for, because no matter what, there could be no forgiveness for what he had set into motion.

The End.

Author's note: This may be continued at some point. But I needed to write a back-story to clarify some things in A Killer in Me and The Defiants. Oh yeah, can you tell that I love the Usual Suspects?


End file.
